


Trains

by StariNights



Series: Tumblr Requests [8]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Angst without a happy ending, Canon Era, M/M, That is all, sante fe here he comes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 14:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20931965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StariNights/pseuds/StariNights
Summary: //A million thoughts raced through Davey’s head. As he dropped his bag to the pavement and started running in the direction of the train station, one thought forced itself to the forefront of David’s mind.Jack will  be gone if I don’t run fast enough.Fortunately, David was good at that.He ran faster than he’d ever ran before, weaving through pedestrians and barreling over a poor newsie hawking today’s headline (he thinks it may have been Jo Jo, he didn’t get a good enough look). He didn’t even pause to apologize, his mind racing with thoughts like I’m too late, he’s gone he’s gone he’s gone-//





	Trains

Davey jumped when he hears his old nickname called out from behind him.

“Ey Mouth! Wait up!”

Honestly, after the strike, Davey was quite used to random newsies from all different boroughs coming up to talk to him on the street. After all, he was Davey Jacobs, the Walking Mouth of Manhattan, one of the great strike leaders, even if he was barely a newsie anymore. Sure, he still sold on the weekends, but after his father found a new job he was off the streets and back in class.

But, when he saw Spot Conlon making a beeline for him on his way to said class, he knew something was wrong. Spot looked like he had ran all the way from Brooklyn, and he rarely ever crossed the bridge if he could help it.

“Ey! Mouth!” he skidded to a halt just a few feet away from him, “you’se gotta- shit, he’s tryna go again, you’se gotta stop ‘im”

Davey furrowed his brow, taking a step towards Spot, “who? What’s going on?”

Spot huffed, “Its Jacke Boy. One a’ my boys saw him down at the trains, said he was buyin’ a ticket. You know as well as I do he ain't just goin’ for a quick ride”

David felt his heart freeze. Jack- Jack was at the tracks? But, but he thought he’d… he didn’t even come say goodbye-

A million thoughts raced through Davey’s head. As he dropped his bag to the pavement and started running in the direction of the train station, one thought forced itself to the forefront of David’s mind.

_Jack will be gone if I don't run fast enough._

Fortunately, David was good at that.

He ran faster than he’d ever ran before, weaving through pedestrians and barreling over a poor newsie hawking today’s headline (he thinks it may have been Jo Jo, he didn’t get a good enough look). He didn’t even pause to apologize, his mind racing with thoughts like _I’m too late, he’s gone he’s gone he’s gone-_

His breath came out in short bursts and his legs were burning but he didn’t slow, he just pushed himself harder. Forcing his screaming legs to pump faster, begging time to slow down, for a train to be delayed, for the tracks to have been struck by lightning, but most of all for Jack to _still be there._

By the time the train station came into view, David lungs were screaming and his legs felt like they were going to give out under him. He buried his discomfort and pushed his way past dozens of people, blue eyes scanning for that blue shirt and mop of brown hair he knew so well.

Finally, he saw him. Sitting on a bench and staring at the trains.

“Jack-” his voice came out cracked and strained, “Jack!”

He forced his way forward as Jack turned and looked at him with those wide, golden-brown eyes eyes. He saw him say something that looked like his name, but he couldn’t hear it over the hammering in his ears.

“Jack,” he said again, just as he got close enough to reach out and grab him. He didn’t, there were too many people around and he knew he couldn’t risk it, but /god/, did he want too. He wanted to bury himself into Jack’s arms and never let him go.

“Davey? I- What’re ya doin’ here?” he asked, pushing himself off the bench and standing in front of David. He could barely form a response, all his mind could think about was the fact that he _wasn’t too late Jack’s still here oh thank God-_

“I- You...” he trailed off, still trying to catch his breath. He looked at Jack, chest aching, “you didn’t even come say goodbye”

Jack looked to his feet, “I, uh… yeah. I didn’t think ya’d wanna see me,”

“You could have at least told me you were leaving,” he said softly, voice breaking under the weight of his own emotions.

Jack scuffed the ground with his shoe, “ya’ would’a tried to get me to stay”

“Of course I would, I don’t want you to go,” Davey admitted, taking a step closer.

“Davey, there ain’t nothin’ for me here-” David cut him off.

“Nothing for you here? Jack, what about the newsies, Crutchie, /Me?/” his voice was strained, and he could feel his eyes burning with the oncoming tears that he refused to let fall, “are we not enough for you? I thought we were a family?”

Jack looked at the ground in guilt, avoiding David’s eyes like the plague. He could feel tears burning in his eyes, so he took a step closer.

"I thought we were in this together..."

Jack took and step back, still refusing to meet David's eyes. "The boys aint got no need for me no more, hell, I aint even a newsie no more, with them movin' and you off to school again I just-"

"Wait, what?" David cut him off, stepping forward again, "what do you mean you ain't a newsie anymore? We just sold together last weekend!"

Jack tried a grin, "yeah, one for the road, ya know?" He sighed "a little one showed up at the lodgings an' needed my bunk, an' without Les, ain't no one wanna buy a pape from a grown ass man"

"So? Just because you can't sell anymore don't mean we aint a family, ya know?" He took another step closer, only a foot away from the other boy now, "you know who came and got me? Spot. Not even Spot wants to see you go"

"Davey-" Jack's voice sounded strained, "please, it's really for the best-"

"How? God, _please_ explain to me how exactly, is it for the best? Cause right now, Jack, ima be honest, I ain't seein' it!" He hated the way his voice cracked and how desperate he sounded, but he couldn't say he wasn’t.

He saw Jack sniff and a part of his angry resolve cracked, “Dave you’d hate me if you knew-”

“Doubtful, Jack-” David was cut off by the train whistle. His stomach dropped as Jack stiffened.

“That’s me,” he tried to take a step away, but David grabbed his arm and dragged him into a hug. He buried his face into Jack’s shoulder, lanky arms wrapped tight around his shoulders.

“Please don’t do this,” He begged, tears falling freely from his eyes now, “I- Jacky please, I-”

He was cut off by Jack, who pulled him impossibly closer, “I love you, Dave. I… I really, _really_ love you,” he muttered into his neck, fingers gripping at the fabric of his vest.

Davey froze, shocked. Out of the things he expected Jack to say, that was Not It. He was so shocked, he barely even reacted when Jack pulled back.

“Jack..” he muttered, trying to find the words to say. His brain still hadn't caught up yet, and Jack was already backing away.

“Im… I’m sorry Dave-” then he was running, leaving David scared and desperate.

“Jack, Jack wait-!” he stepped forward, reaching out for him, only to be blocked by oncoming train goers as the final whistle blew. He stood staring at the train, where Jack had already disappeared in the midst of all the chaos. A tear slipped down his cheek and the train let off one final blow before it began chugging down the track. He caught sight of that oh so familiar mop of brown hair from the back window, and his heart broke in two.

Jack was gone, Davey…

“I love you too…”

Was too late.

**Author's Note:**

> Wish i could say I'm Sorry for the Angst but well... I'm not.
> 
> Anyhow, come yell at me @allthenewsiesaregay-bitch at tungle dot com!!


End file.
